Seriously. Labradors. Retrievers. Goldendoodles. Vizslas. Doesn’t matter. Every time I see one I’m like:

That’s right folks- I’m that girl. The one who goes apeshit over dogs belonging to complete strangers. The one who shows up at your door on Sunday morning offering her free (unsolicited) dog walking services. The one who may or may not have gotten kicked out of at least one dog park in Toronto for dogless “loitering”. (Pfft.)

Anyway, I’m not sure if it’s just a phase or yet another manifestation of my crushing loneliness, but lately I’ve been seriously considering getting one of my own.

It doesn’t help that they seem to be everywhere I go lately. The past three weekends in a row I’ve made new four-legged friends.

First, there was Barry.

This 10 week old Malti-poo and I met at a friend’s barbecue, and it was love at first sight. Barry, who more closely resembled an Ewok than an actual dog, spent about 80% of the time sleeping and could barely walk due to an overabundance of fluffy, stuffed animal fur obstructing his gait, but that didn’t stop me from posing for instagram photos and begging his owners to let me take him home with me anyway.

Next, there was Molly, the mischievous Goldendoodle with an unhealthy obsession with socks and a penchant for watermelon.

Molly (at least notionally) belonged to a couple who attended a cottage weekend with me in Muskoka, but from the moment we met, she and I had a special bond. I was lying on a chaise lounge reading US Weekly when Molly came bounding around the corner, wagging that little hybrid tail of hers like her life depended on it. With no questions asked, she jumped on my chair, curled up between my legs and placed her head on my thigh. Anyone who wanted to be that close to celebrity gossip was A-OK with me. Plus, she hated getting her head wet when she went swimming.. and I respect a dog who appreciates the merits of a good shampoo.

And then, there was Chester:

The fur-child of my law school friend Christine and her husband Brian, Chester was perhaps the toughest nut to crack. Initially put off by my enthusiasm and aggressive dog-voice, it took me a good 10-15 minutes to convince Chester to let me pick him up. But once I did, there was no looking back.

With all these dogs appearing in my life lately, I’m beginning to think the universe is sending me a sign.

God?

I know, I know. Although I may be idealistic (and a little bit crazy), I’m not altogether delusional. I know my dog-owning dreams can never come to fruition due to my long work hours, my 500 square foot apartment and my general laziness/irresponsibility. But a girl can dream, right?

For now I’ll just resign myself to keeping these photos minimized on my computer screen and looking at them every time I feel sad. ……………….And getting kicked out of dog parks. I mean… define “loitering”….

22 thoughts on “The Dog (less) Days of Summer”

Aren’t all girls obsessed with dogs? The day I meet a girl who isn’t is the day I know I’ve met Satan’s mistress.

I never heard of a goldendoodle before. Golden retriever poodle?

I do have a dog. It’s the old family dog I take care of now because everyone else makes excuses like they enjoy not picking up poop. He’s a mutt. Part slob part annoying as hell. He enjoys lying in the bathroom and quick walks around trees. Interested?

Good to know I’ve successfully evaded the title of Satan’s Mistress. This time…

and yes golden retriever poodle. They will breed just about anything with a poodle these days it seems.
I would have to meet this dog before I could agree to adopt him…. does he like posing for photos ad nauseum?

I’ll gladly let you have my dog on trial, when he’s fed up with working. But I warn you, he eats blankets, and he’s got a funny habit of licking the television screen whenever Colin Firth’s on. Weird trick, that. No idea where he might have picked it ue. *grumbles something about dogs being like their owners*. What utter nonsense.

My girls have a dog,,,her name is Jellybean, she is the most unconditional lovable Golden Lab. You know when you love dogs,,when your waiting at the bus stop, and a human walks by with a dog,,and your inside voice talks dog talk!

I have always had dogs! I couldn’t live without one. Oso is my current bebe. The police brought him to me (took him from a mean mean woman who later went to jail I think). He has a few ghosts from his poor upbringing, but he is a wonderful companion!

I have 5 dogs! And I love them all! lol I have a couple Chihuhuas (which bark a lot!) and 3 Golden Retrievers who are like a hurrican of fur anytime you take the time to look at one…there is a total wrestling match with each one trying to be closer than the next to whomever will give them attention. If I were getting another dog today, I think it would have to be a goldendoodle! They are so cute and have the personality of a Golden with that huge fluffy hair, I love it:) Plus, they are not supposed to shed as much, that is a huge plus. Oh yeah, and you can even get a mini—where they breed a toy poodle to a goldendoodle. I hope you do get a dog soon, every dog lover should get the chance to have a furball of their own.

5 dogs! That’s crazy but it must be a lot of fun. Goldendoodles are really cute but I think I might be sold on the maltese/poodle mix just because they have that cute little face that looks like a bear cub!

Hello from Australia!
Although I love your blog, I hadn’t yet posted a comment…but I couldn’t resist a good dog post!
For the last 22 years I’ve been the biggest cat lady ever so was shocked when my parents bought a puppy just one month ago – but he’s completely won me over. He’s a 12 week old maltese shitzu and the cutest thing ever. I am obsessed and have to go home every weekend now to see him and secretely dress him up in cute little dog outfits – so I can completely relate to your dog excitement! 🙂

I absolutely LOVE dogs. The worst part about my lifestyle is that I can’t have a pet. When I’m a grown up I will have a million dogs. There are loads of street dogs around and I give them lots of TLC. Everyone always tells me off for playing with them but scabby dogs need love too. I will probably get mauled one day but I still let them drink water out of my cupped hands. You should probably warn Barry’s parents that I would like to steal him. Do you know Boo?

Black Lab, Black Lab, Black Lab, Black Lab! Get an effing black lab. Ophelia is my black lab, and everyday is just so gosh darn cute and awesome. I equate my life with Ophelia to one of watching a teddy bear shaped pinata explode with unicorns, stardust, and rainbows, over a pool of marshmallow and nutella. It’s that amazing. They start out so little, and grow to be the perfect size. Then when they are old, all they want to do is hang the efff, out. Black lab, all the way!

I. Love. Dogs. Mostly, my canine-love is reserved for the big dogs, but occasionally a compact-sized dog gets my affection, too. We used to have a Rottie/Aussie Shepherd cross. She sounds tough, but she was literally the SWEETEST thing ever. It’s been over two years since she passed away, and I still get all misty-eyed thinking about her. (That’s the really crappy part about having a dog– they bury themselves into the deepest pits of your soul, and when they go, it’s a gut-wrenching experience.)